The invention relates to a method and an arrangement for controlling a vehicle such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,991,669.
The control structure described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,991,669 partitions the control system for a vehicle into different components, for example, into a component xe2x80x9csource of mechanical powerxe2x80x9d, a component xe2x80x9csource of electric powerxe2x80x9d, a component xe2x80x9cvehicle motionxe2x80x9d and a component xe2x80x9cchassis and interiorxe2x80x9d. The two last-mentioned components are exclusively consumers of mechanical and electric power and the two first-mentioned components are consumers as well as generators of mechanical and electric power. Each component is coordinated by a coordinator. Each component is subdivided into subsystems of which, in turn, each individual subsystem is further detailed until the entire vehicle control is subdivided in the context of such a hierarchy or layer structure. The above-mentioned components are coordinated by a coordinator xe2x80x9ctotal vehiclexe2x80x9d which, in accordance with predetermined strategies, determines the resources of mechanical and electric power which are available and allocates the same to the individual consumers. Fixed required communication relationships, requests, information inquiries and commands exist between the above-mentioned components with the aid of which the entire vehicle control is undertaken.
In the near future, the marketability of vehicles having integrated electric machines or combined drives (for example, drives having an internal combustion engine and an electric motor for drive purposes) can be expected. Such vehicles are, for example, vehicles having a so-called starter generator, serial hybrid vehicles (wherein an electric motor is driven via a generator by an internal combustion engine), parallel hybrid vehicles (wherein internal combustion engines as well as electric motors can drive the vehicle), conventional vehicles having separate starters and generators, pure electric vehicles and also other types of electric energy generation in vehicles (for example, a vehicle having fuel cells). Such vehicles with integrated electric machines are not considered in the known structuring of vehicle control.
All of the above-mentioned vehicle variations having integrated electric machines are covered by tying in electric machines, which are integrated in vehicles, into a control structure in accordance with initially-mentioned state of the art.
By logically subdividing the electric machine into two components, a complete symmetry in the handling of the mechanical and electric power is achieved and, in this way, the complexity of such a vehicle is reduced.
Furthermore, the ease of overview of control structures is increased because each of the two components is the source of only one type of power.